Township of Jackson, NJ Article IV Impoundment of Dogs

[Adopted 12-5-1972 by Ord. No. 18-72 (Ch. 51, Part 1, Art. IV, of the 1972 Code)]

§ 98-30 Animal Control Officer.

[Amended 10-3-1983 by Ord. No. 50-83; 11-27-2000 by Ord. No. 31-00]

A. The position of Animal Control Officer is hereby established as a law enforcement official of the Township. The Animal Control Officer shall be an employee of the Township and subject to the control and direction of the Director of the Department of Public Works. The duties of the Animal Control Officer shall be enforcement of the measures and provisions for the control of dogs contained in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 through 4:19-15.29 and any amendments thereof, and the provisions of this chapter, with the exception of Articles III and VI hereof.

B. All Animal Control Officers employed by the Township of Jackson shall be Certified Animal Control Officers, as defined in N.J.A.C. 8:23A-2.1.

[Added 7-12-2004 by Ord. No. 31-04]

§ 98-31 Certified Animal Control Officers; powers and duties.

[Added 7-12-2004 by Ord. No. 31-04]

A. A Certified Animal Control Officer of the Township of Jackson who has been certified as an Animal Cruelty Investigator pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16a et seq. is hereby authorized to investigate and sign complaints, arrest violators and otherwise act as an officer for detection, apprehension and arrest of offenders against the animal control, animal welfare and animal cruelty laws of the State of New Jersey and ordinances of the Township of Jackson.

B. A Certified Animal Control Officer of the Township of Jackson who has been certified as an Animal Cruelty Investigator shall have all the powers and authority set forth in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16c.

C. A Certified Animal Control Officer of the Township of Jackson who has been certified as an Animal Cruelty Investigator who signs a complaint, issues a summons, makes an arrest, or otherwise acts pursuant to his authority under N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16c shall forward within five business days a copy of that complaint, summons or arrest warrant or report to the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and shall forward a report of any related court action within 30 calendar days of final disposition.

§ 98-32 Duty of Animal Control Officer to impound dogs; pound.

[Amended 9-11-2007 by Ord. No. 31-07]

The Animal Control Officer of the Township of Jackson, when in immediate pursuit of a dog or dogs which he may lawfully seize or impound under the provisions of this article or under the statutes of the State of New Jersey, is hereby authorized to go upon or enter into any premises, but not to enter an inhabited dwelling house without permission of the owner, to seize such dog or dogs for impounding, and such entry shall not be deemed a trespass, except that he may not go upon any premises if the owner thereof or the owner's representative is present and forbids him to do so. A suitable animal pound or equivalent facilities shall be provided by the Township of Jackson, and it shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer to clean and otherwise take care of said pound or facility and to feed regularly and give other necessary care to any and all animals impounded therein.

§ 98-33 Duty to impound vicious dogs and dogs at large.

[Amended 9-11-2007 by Ord. No. 31-07]

It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer to apprehend and take into custody and impound, or cause to be taken into custody and impounded, any vicious dog or any dog found running at large, and to impound such dog in the municipal pound or other suitable place. A complete registry of all such dogs so seized shall be made, which shall include the breed, color and sex of such dog and whether licensed. If licensed, the name and address of the owner and the number of the license tag shall be recorded.

§ 98-34 Notice of impoundment.

[Amended 9-11-2007 by Ord. No. 31-07]

If any dog seized or impounded in accordance with the provisions of this article shall wear a collar or harness having inscribed thereon or attached thereto the name and address of any person or a registration tag, or the owner or person keeping or harboring said dog is known, the Animal Control Officer shall forthwith serve upon the person whose address is given on the collar or the owner or person keeping or harboring said dog, if known, notice in writing stating that the dog has been seized and will be liable to be disposed of or destroyed if not claimed within seven days after the service of the notice.

§ 98-35 Impoundment of unrestrained dogs.

[Added 10-3-1983 by Ord. No. 50-83; amended 9-11-2007 by Ord. No. 31-07]

Unrestrained dogs may be taken by the Animal Control Officer and impounded in the animal shelter and there confined in the manner prescribed in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.14. Impounded dogs shall be kept for not less than seven days unless reclaimed by their owners. If, by a license or by other means, the owner can be identified, the Animal Control Officer shall, immediately upon impoundment, notify the owner by telephone or mail of the impoundment of the dog. Dogs not claimed by their owners within seven days, or placed in suitable new homes, may be disposed of by methods prescribed as humane by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association by the Animal Control Officer or by a representative delegated by him to exercise that authority.

§ 98-36 Disposition or redemption of dogs; detention fees.

A. When any dog has been seized in accordance with the provisions of this article and has been detained for seven days after such notice, when notice can be given as set forth in § 98-34, or has been detained for seven days after seizure when no notice has been given, as set forth in § 98-34, and if the owner or person keeping or harboring said dog has not claimed said dog and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention as hereinafter specified, and if the dog be unlicensed at the time of seizure and the owner or person keeping or harboring said dog has not produced a license and registration tag for said dog, the Animal Control Officer may cause the dog to be destroyed in a manner causing as little pain as possible.

[Amended 9-11-2007 by Ord. No. 31-07]

B. The following charges shall be paid to the Township of Jackson as expenses incurred by reason of detention in accordance with the provisions of this section:

[Added 10-3-1983 by Ord. No. 50-83; amended 9-11-2007 by Ord. No. 31-07]

(1) Impounding any dog: $3.

(2) Maintenance per day: $1.

(3) Giving notice: $1.

(4) Redemption of any dog: $10.

The charges specified herein shall be paid to the Township Clerk of the Township of Jackson, and a receipt shall be delivered to the person paying such charges, which receipt shall be the authority for the Animal Control Officer to release the dog to the owner or person claiming such dog.

C. No dog so impounded shall be sold, given, released or turned over to any agency, organization, or corporation, whether governmental or private, for experimentation or other like purposes.

§ 98-37 Interference with authorized agents.

No person shall hurt, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article.

§ 98-38 Violations and penalties.

Any person violating the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding $500 or by imprisonment for any term not exceeding 90 days, or both.